Gangway for Captain Marvel!
by Captain Omnitron
Summary: Earth's Mightiest Mortal! Captain Marvel! Is back and proud to be presented in that Mighty Marvel fashion! Read on as young Billy Batson showcases his might as he takes on some of the worst of the worst the Marvel Universe has to offer! With the Power of Shazam, Captain Marvel is bound to take his place in Marvel's pantheon of heroes for days to come!


Gangway for Captain Marvel!

The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Guardians of The Galaxy, X-Men and all related characters belong to Marvel Comics. Shazam and all related characters belong to DC Comics

* * *

In a large rock formation sat what looked like an old man on a throne made of stone. He had a long white beard and wore white robes. He appeared to be troubled about something as he rubbed his head in frustration, sighing in a dejected tone.

"What troubles you Wizard?" A voice called out. The old man looked to see a man just as old.

"Nothing young sorcerer." The old said, continuing what looked like an internal argument.

"Young? I am 708 years old!" The man said a little indignantly, but with a smile on her face. This made the old spirit chuckle.

"And yet they call you the Ancient One, eh Yao? Do your students know just how old I am?" The man seated upon the throne said as he got up, a small chuckle in his voice.

"Come now, I know something must be bothering you Shazam." Yao the Ancient One and Sorcerer Supreme said, a worried look on his face.

"I feel a darkness growing. The Seven Deadly Enemies are becoming ever more restless, ever more violent. He is returning." The Wizard said as he frowned.

"Should I alert the others?" The Ancient One asked, causing the Wizard Shazam to raise his hand in protest.

"No. However it is times like these I wish there was a champion for the mortal realm." The old Wizard said as he got up from his throne. He walked over to a small pool that showed the mortal realm.

"But are you not the Champion? Chosen by the gods to battle the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man? To aid more directly in the mundane world?" The Ancient One asked, though knowing the answer... The Wizard had long since abandoned the realm of mortals.

"I am too tired and too old to continue with that duty. I am finally starting to feel my age. No this is a job for a younger one." The Wizard said.

"If you are in need of someone to keep back the return of Teth-Adam why not choose my student, Stephen Strange?" The Ancient One asked, knowing the great promise of his chosen successor.

"I had thought of that, but it would be of no use. He is to be the Sorcerer Supreme as you intended... The duty of The Champion of Eternity... Laid at my feet by the gods themselves... Is a duty for those with a hand in the mortal realms... A hand I no longer have to give..." The Wizard Shazam said as he looked to the mortal cities. He saw nothing but crime and corruption as always, but held out hope that one day it may end in the mortal realm. He hoped one day they may live in peace, however something caught his interest. A young boy... Something about this particular mortal seemed to speak to the Wizard, as he sensed something in the young boy he hadn't felt in a mortal for many years. A pure heart. He had lost his parents right before his eyes due to terrible machinations, but still his heart was not turned to anger or hatred.

"Perhaps? Yes... This boy shall be my Champion." The Wizard said.

"Why this particular one?" The Ancient One asked, clearly confused.

"He is pure of heart, I sensed it." The Wizard said as continued to watch over the young boy.

"That may be, but a boy with the powers of six gods, demigods and prophets... Are you entirely sure?" The Ancient One said as he looked at the boy in question. Shazam turned to see the stone prisons of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man in his throne room... Each one cracking... Pride, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, and Injustice.

"I must be."

**Jersey City, New ****Jersey**

* * *

14 and half year old Billy Batson was heading back to the shelter for the night, dressed in an old red sweater to keep the cold at bay during the night as well as old jeans and sneakers. He made it a point to avoid entering the Foster system, taking every chance to dodge them as best he could. He wasn't going anywhere where they were being paid to love him... He wanted to find a home where he could truly feel AT home. As he walked he saw an old man sitting on the sidewalk next to an alley, who wore tattered clothes with a long white beard and hair. He reached into his pocket. He had ten dollars, which he had earned by helping a local laundromat owner get rats out of his back room. Billy took a glace at the old man, who seemed to be in worse straights than him by a wide margin. He walked up closer and handed the small wad of dollar bills to the old man.

"You need this more than me mister." He said as the old man looked up and smiled.

"God bless you son." The man said as he took the money. As he was about to walk away, a hand from out of the dimly lit alley shot out and he was grabbed and thrown against a wall.

"Alright kid, yer gonna run somethin' for me or else!" A rather rough looking man said as he held a knife to Billy's throat.

"HELP!" The boy shouted, as the street tough pushed the knife closer to his neck, almost drawing blood.

"Shut up! I can kill ya before anyone gets here!" However, no sooner had he said that than the old man had come around and pushed the thug to the ground with surprising force.

"RUN SON!" The old man shouted as thug got to his feet, and Billy bolted down the alley. The thug got up, ready to slice the old man in half with his blade but he saw that he had disappeared in almost an instant. However his boiling rage was high and SOMEONE was going to pay. He looked down and saw Billy running and ran straight for him.

"Come on kid! The more you run the more it's gonna hurt!" The thug shouted as he ran after his prey, almost closing the distance, as Billy quickly went for an empty subway entrance. Hopping the turnstyle he darted into the empty train car and as the door closed he sighed in relief. As the train went along the tracks it seemed as though it was speeding, faster and faster, as the train car started to shake and rattle.

_"Billy Batson... I choose you... As Champion..."_ An ethereal voice said as Billy found the train car stopping harshly... With the door opening to reveal... A cave. He cautiously stepped outside, almost drawn to by some unknown force... There he saw to his left grotesque statues which seemed heavily cracked. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him as he swore he saw whatever odd writing was below the statues change and shift into English.

"Pride, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, Injustice." The boy read off the names of the statues.

"The Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, bound in stone but always poised to escape and wreak terrible havoc upon humanity." An old voice said as Billy jumped a bit, seeing an old man who he swore looked familiar sitting on a stone throne with a large fire pit next to him. He sheepishly walked up, the old man eyeing him.

"H-hi there M-mister, I'm Billy Batson." The boy stuttered out, smiling nervously. The old man sat there, craning his head to stare at the boy for several long moments.

"I know who you are, young one. I have been keeping my eye on you for you for some time now." Spoke the old man in a surprisingly powerful voice.

"You have?" Billy asked, an eyebrow arching more in confusion than surprise. The old man nodded his head gravely before sitting straighter in his stone chair and staring a little closer at the young boy.

"Yes, I have. I am known as the Wizard Shazam. I have been the Guardian of the Rock of Eternity and Champion of Eternity from before even mighty Atlantis had sunk and its people adapted to the seas. I hold residence at the Rock of Eternity, to watch vigil over the world and to keep the Seven Deadly Enemies of man from running amok and ravaging it. I have seen humans rise to dizzying heights, only to be struck down. I have seen ages of heroes come and go, until only legends remain of their deeds."

The Wizard told Billy, earning a look of amazement from Billy as, while for most this would seem rather far fetched, Billy could discern that what was happening so far seemed to line up with what the old man was saying.

"For reasons you shall soon come to understand, I must ask that when you address me, not to call me by my name. Though it may seem rude for the moment, I would ask that you simply call me 'Wizard' for now."

"Uhhh…all right Mister Shaza... Wizard sir." Billy hesitantly replied. The Wizard just chuckled.

"Now, I trust you have some questions for me? Let's hear them then, if you please." Shazam said as Billy stepped a little closer to the old wizard.

"Um, what do you need me for Mr. Wizard?" The boy queried.

"I hold a position of power and authority in the cosmic balance and my position must be filled. There must always be a Champion. It is the nature of things and maintains the Balance. However I am getting too tired, too old." The Wizard Shazam said... And Billy, while not traditionally book smart, was smart enough to know where this was going.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! I think you have the wrong guy here!" Said Billy, waving his hands about frantically.

"I did not wish to place this burden on you young one, but things are progressing faster than expected, and we are out of time. Great darkness is on the horizon. I have faced such darkness before, but I can no longer defeat it. I am too weak. Unopposed, it will lay waste to the entire world, with only a care given for power and not the innocents that will stand in its path, giving neither quarter nor mercy. Only you can stop him... my successor." Shazam said as the boy held a look of amazement, but was left speechless. However one question begged to be asked.

"Why me?" Was the only thing Billy could say.

"It has always been you, Billy Batson. You possess the qualities needed to bear my power. You will possess the Wisdom of Solomon, the Strength of Hercules, the Courage of Achilles, The Power of Zeus, the Stamina of Atlas, and the Speed of Mercury! I... wanted to wait until you were older, more prepared…more ready…" The old wizard said, seeming to shrink in on himself as the boy watched on.

"But there is no time. Never enough time. When you are in need, when injustice is before you, when innocents are endangered say my name. Say it with conviction, say it with purpose, say it with all your might! You are now my Captain in the battles to come. You will perform marvels as you traverse your way through your destiny." The Wizard said as he began... To fade.

"Wizard?!" Billy asked before the wizard began to completely fade, speaking his final words.

"When the moment comes my Captain... say my name." Came Shazam's final words. And a flash hit Billy's eyes.

* * *

Suddenly he found himself back where he was before... Held against a wall with a knife at his throat. The words of the Wizard echoed in Billy's mind at that moment.

"SHAZAM!" He cried out as his eyes started to glow bright gold. A bolt of lightning came down and struck him at that very moment. The thug stopped in surprise as a full grown man now stood in the place of the boy he was about to kill.

The man was tall, about 6 feet and 6 inches tall. He also wore a red outfit, with a golden sash around his waste, golden bracers on his forearms, golden boots, a short cape with gold trim hung from his neck. He also had a lighting bolt symbol on his chest that seemed to spark with lightning itself!

"O-okay ya circus reject! I know yer game! All smoke and mirrors! Trying to protect that brat! Well let's see ya magic ya way outta this!" The thug yelled, trying to drive the knife into the man's chest. The knife however broke against him.

"Now that wasn't called for." The costumed man said as the thug backed up in fright.

"Screw this! I'm not dealin' with no mutie freaks!" The thug proclaimed as he tried to run. The caped man however flew after him and reached him quite easily, almost in the blink of an eye. He snatched the thug up by the back of his jacket and took him into the air.

"You're going to stop preying on children to do your dirty work right?" The caped marvel asked as he turned the mugger around and looked him square in the eye.

"Yeah sure thing!" The mugger said in a panic as he tried to free himself from the inhumanly strong grip of his captor.

"Good." The flying man said as he was about to fly them to the police station. However the mugger secretly readied his back up... A small hand gun to try and shoot the man's head. However the bullet just bounced off even at close range, with not even a scratch. The flying man didn't seem to notice the bullet at all, until he spoke.

"That wasn't very nice." The caped man said as he then crushed the gun in his hand and flew down in front of the police station with the mugger. A female officer was walking outside when she saw the flying man.

"Excuse me Officer... DeWolffe." The Man in Red said as he looked at her badge.

"They say confession is good for the soul, well I'd listen to this man." The red clad man said as he showed her the now crushed gun and then flew off.

"Wait! Who are you?!" The officer calls out, as the caped man hovered in the air and smiled

"Captain Marvel ma'am, Captain Marvel. Good night!" He said as he flew into the night sky. As he landed on a tall building overlooking the city and New York City in the distance, the caped man smiled.

"THIS IS SO AWESOME!"

* * *

**Hey their folks! Captain Marvel here! I bet you had a lot of fun in this first issue! Well I'm here to explain a few things you may be confused about!**

**1: I'm just regular old Billy Batson really, but the Wisdom of Solomon adds a lot more maturity and well wisdom when I transform. So while I might sound and act the part of a grown man, I'm still regular old Billy underneath! **

**2: How does the Power work you may be wondering, well it's simple! The Rock of Eternity is the source of ALL magic. Like when Doctor Strange, who calls upon eldritch beings for his spells for instance... Well those eldritch beings also draw their power from The Rock of Eternity. Any magical creature from the most vile of demons to the most noble of gods are connected to The Rock of Eternity. Because of this nigh infinite power source, the Wizard can "pick" powers from gods without them even being aware or losing power as well... Infinite source of magic. **


End file.
